Gary Meers, Ed.D.

About me

I am an Education Advisor/Consultant for MaxKnowledge. I write courses that assist in the professional development of career college instructors. These courses range in content from the introductory level to advanced instructional development. I started my teaching career as an instructional technology teacher on the high school level, completed graduate school and then moved into higher education. I spent many years in the area of teacher training at the University of Nebraska. While at the University of Nebraska I stared working with career college instructors to improve their instructional delivery skills. As a result of these experiences I have been a consultant to career colleges throughout the United States and a number of foreign countries.

Activity

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Kevin, Yes, it is going to be fun. Some adjustments are going to have to be made in all sectors that are impacted by online learning. This is so much bigger than just the technology of delivery, it also includes the impact made on the humans that populate these courses. A fun time for all. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Richard, Good point about the value of student input and feedback be it onsite or online. This is why we need to keep in communication with our students so we can "read" them through their postings and interaction with others. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Richard, Good question to ask. I know if a timeline has been set it had better be kept or the students start to wonder if other parts of the course are really of value or need to be completed by a set time. When this starts to happen control is slipping away from the instructor and the course is prime for a collapse. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Dawn, The learning curve as you are experiencing is pretty steep the first year because everything is new. As you gain experience teaching will become even more rewarding and you will realize just how much you are impacting lives. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Amy, I use them a lot in my classes for the reasons you state. They really get the students cranked up about what we are studying because they help to make the course content real. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Amy, I use my previous students as well in my classes. They love to come back and talk about what they learned and how they are using the course content. They motivate the current students because they see how that will soon be them talking to one of my classes. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Offering Varied Instructional Delivery

Sherri, Learners crave change of pace and variety in their classes. The model you are using enables them to learn, apply and refine their knowledge and skills in the course content while experiencing personal growth in their knowledge base. Good strategy. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Kelly, You are "connecting the dots" for the students with these methods. I know this increases the value of the content as a result. This in turn increases student retention for a win win situation for everyone. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Amy, I agree about the need to make the connection between content and application. You are doing this with your approach because not only are they learning the content they are also seeing how that content is applied. This increases the relevancy of the course to and for the students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Sherri, Good way to open the class as you are establishing yourself as the learning leader that has the knowledge and experience to help them move toward their career goals. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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